The BBC Games Archive - digital memories

Level 9

Level 9 was/is one of the best known companies, hell even the yanks have heard of them! Basically they were THE best ever text adventure games company. They only did 15 games for the old 8-bit computers, but boy were these games masterpieces of computer games engineering. Whilst yanks had the PC, a 512k monster of a machine (well back then it was) we Brits had to make do with the Speccy and BBC. They managed to pack hundreds of words, and even up to 200 pictures into 32k! Even though it takes ages to load them on the beeb tapes (they did disk as well) they were brilliant, if you can experience them, then you should. The company was run by three brothers - Mike, Pete and Nick Austin, and they ruled the roost for Text adventures over here from 1984-1991, when the business folded due to the collapse of the Maxwell Empire. They had pulled out of the BBC/Acorn market before they died, releasing their last title Scapeghost on the BBC in late 1989/early 1990. Luckily for us Beeb owners they didn't produce anything that didn't appear on the Beeb.

During their time they also 'lent' their text compression techniques and lent a hand with some of Mosaic Publishings games, click here to see them.

Please contact me if you have any additional information about the company or its games!

Emerald Isle

This was the first game they did with graphics for each location (at least on the BBC it was, on the Speccy all games had graphics, boo!) You are stranded on an island in the Bermuda Triangle, and have to get off of it.

Gnome Ranger

Released:

Author: Unknown

Download

Play

No Info Yet.

Gnome Ranger II: Ingrid's Back

Released:

Author: Unknown

Download

Play

No Info Yet.

Knight Orc

Released:

Author: Unknown

Download

Play

The first game they wrote with their new adventuring engine - this one was for expanded BBC's only, you needed SWR at least to get it to run, and Shadow RAM for the graphics (which were very nice pictures actually). It was made on a very large grid style map, which spoiled it for some as it was somewhat more linear than the first 10 games, and not as well received.

Lords Of Time

This is a great game, it has one of the most advanced parsers they ever did, basically you have to fight through the 9 time zones which you can reach by way of a Grandfather clock (how surreal!) it has loads of puzzles, this one is my favourite.

Price Of Magik

This was the last game of the three trilogies, you have to defeat a wicked sorcerer in his old mansion. This was a bit like a Role Playing Game, because some characters had 'hit points'. Again you learn spells, and have to use them in the correct places.